Legislature, Spitzer reach deal to end secrecy over member items

The state Legislature and Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Tuesday they have made a deal that will make the New York state budget process more transparent.

The deal calls for all of the pork barrel spending in the budget, also known as "member items," to be clearly spelled out before lawmakers vote on a spending plan. Until this year, secrecy surrounded some of the appropriations.

The agreement also calls for the state comptroller to be the one to pick a number for how much in revenues will be available to the state if the Legislature and the governor cannot agree themselves. Delays in reaching a consensus on those so-called avails is a chief reason the state budget has only been approved twice in the past 20 years by the April 1 deadline. There are advantages to both the governor and the Legislature to letting the process drag on past April 1, because that gives the state leaders a clearer picture of how much will be available to be spent in the new fiscal year.

Spitzer is set to propose his first budget to the Legislature on Jan. 31.